Hidden in plain sight
by Sinister hime
Summary: She loathed them more than she let on... her anger fueled more as the years passed by and the dangers for her life increased. After her last family member dies, she makes a decision to take things into her own hands. Will the wizarding world soon realize that they're 'savior' is leaving them for good? And will she succeed in her plan? fem!Harry AU
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

**A/N: WARNING! Fem!Harry. No pairings. AU (DUH) and…well, that's about it.**

**DISCLAIMER: This fanfic was made for entertainment purposes only, I own absolutely nothing but my fem!Harry character and the storyline. **

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**ALSO**

**KEEP IN MIND THAT I AM NOT AMERICAN OR BRITISH (ENGLISH ISN'T EVEN MY FIRST LANGUAGE) AND THAT GRAMMER MISTAKES ARE TO BE EXPECTED; BUT I ALSO SOMETIMES MIX UP THE TWO SO I APOLOGIZE IF FEM!HARRY SOUNDS MORE AMERICAN AT TIMES THAN BRITISH.**

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It was at that very moment that she felt she had enough. She desperately wanted to close her eyes and banish the horrifying image from her mind. But she simply could not stop staring at…whatever that _was. _She was finally able to avert her gaze away from the horrible scene and her eyes wandered around the room. Blood stained walls, broken tiles in the floor. The front door was wide open, blown off its hinges. Police man were coming in and out of that room; each of them looking as if they choked on something vile. She couldn't really blame them. The air reeked of fat, blood and rotten flesh. She felt her stomach churn and she desperately felt the need to run out and let it all out. She _really _wished she could. But she was doubting her ability to walk straight and forward at the moment.

Her eyes landed on the broken couch, parts of it looking burned off, others having giant holes in them as if someone was stabbing it over and over again. There were blood stains on it, and bits of- was that skin and flesh?! She mentally shivered, as she stared at the couch with disgust, and her eyes once again roamed to the sight of _it. _Or rather _them _in front of her.

Two beings slumped on each other- the one underneath having lost all his… limbs; while the one on top was… devoid of a head. The upper half of their bodies seemed burned and they were laying in a pool of their own blood. She suspected to find the other missing…body parts, as her eyes roamed around the cracked floor, but she couldn't. Which made her stomach roll with anxiety even more than was necessary. All in all, the sight was gruesome and the stench was awful; even though she was standing a good couple of feet away. She was…mostly positive, that any other girl at the sight of this- _massacre, _would have probably barfed and bawled her eyes out until she was finally dehydrated. Well, it's not like she didn't feel the need to pass out at the sight of the corpses. Because she did. And the feeling was _overwhelming_.She even felt her knees start to buckle, but then she mentally kicked herself.

_I didn't even know these people. It's horrible, but they are dead now and you making a scene won't change that._

She shuddered and even hugged herself slightly to stop her shivering. But then she straightened and took a couple of steps forward inside the room. After all; she couldn't stand at the door all day.

And she has been in the same position for a good half an hour. At the beginning she was only slightly curious, but now she felt sick to the stomach. She just stared and stared. And she couldn't stop. Because, she _knew_ her knees were shaking. And she knew what that meant: _take one step forward and you will topple down on the ground. But don't worry; I'll always be here to break your fall- Yours truly, floor._

She frowned. This was irritating, absurd and creepy. She was getting more and more annoyed by the minute; and more and more repulsed by the second.

Luckily, her savior…or not, came just in time before she decided to get over with it and pass out; not like people will laugh at her or something.

"Holly!"

And just like that, the spell broke. Her eyes sharpened back to focus and her head straightened. She turned her gaze to the man who saved her (In a way) and her eyes softened despite herself.

Joe came bustling towards her, his brown eyes narrowed in concentration as he swiftly took in the corpses in front of her, barely _blinked _and then approached her, eyes hard. "What are you doing here?" he mumbled as he took her by the shoulders and led her towards the window in the back. Her legs were coming back to life, for which Holly was grateful for; but at Joe's sudden question she had to raise an eyebrow. "I believe I should be asking that." She stated. "Wasn't it you yourself that called me and demanded for me to 'Hurry up and come with Steve, I'll explain later', hmmm?" She asked, biting the inside of her check to restrain the smile that threatened to release itself. She was slightly…amused at all this, finding it all a bit funny. She would really like to know his excuse _this time. _But despite this she felt far more horrified at the situation at hand than amused from Joe's antics; after all, a smile was no place on a crime scene- for most.

Joe suddenly stopped moving as he opened the window and let in some fresh air. Holly breathed deeply, glad that her nostrils could now pick up the scent of rain rather than flesh. Joe pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation. "I told him to take you to the _police station, _not the murder site." He turned to shoot a glare at a blond haired man's back who was currently directing a team of forensics to the corpses. Holly couldn't stop the giggle that slipped from her mouth. Steve was a kind, but very confused gentleman. He always wanted action and to never miss out on _anything_; he just rushed and rushed. But even so, he was still new at this job so his actions were justified…kinda.

"Well- I believe you have a right to know that the neighbors are now convinced that I am officially a juvenile criminal." Holly stated, arms crossed. When Joe called her and then just hung up after 10 seconds- she had absolutely no idea what was going on. Her mind had danced across various ideas of attempted murders or that there was a bomb in the apartment. So you could imagine that her reaction was kinda terrified when Steve came out of nowhere on her doorstep, clad in his blue uniform with the gun, shiny badge and everything, took her arm and forcefully dragged her to the police car outside. She even saw old Mr. Miters looking through his window, a satisfied smug grin on his face as he waved goodbye when the car drove away.

"Yea, well I'll deal with that later." Joe said absentmindedly, as he put his hand in his brown coats pocket and took out his cigarette and lighter. Holly's eyes narrowed and she lightly slapped his palm away. Joe winced in shock as he almost dropped his precious lighter and very _last _cigarette. Muttering a curse, he looked at her in bewilderment, but Holly simply shook her head. "None of that; you are on a crime scene for the love of God!" She hissed. "Yes mother." Joe grumbled as Holly released a chuckle, but as soon as she turned her head around, his gaze wandered to the floor as he let his eyes widen in surprise. She was never so straightforward and worried: at least with him and from what he knew. Don't get him wrong: she _always_ worried over small things like, will she be able to wash and fold the laundry or clean the living room, oh, and what about the ironing…?, even though he _constantly_ told her not to do such things as housework, but figures she would never ever _ever _listen to him. Yet, she was also more laid back in a way; even in semi-serious situations. She was calm and collected, as if she experienced far worse than the threat of the landowner throwing them both out on the cold street because he was a bit short on money for the rent a month ago. He expected worried and pained eyes and even some tears of frustration and anger, not a nod of understanding from the situation they were in and a happy O.K. as she assured him they'll pull through. It shocked him- even adults worried over such things; and to see such understanding and calmness in a young teenager was almost unheard of in Joe's mind.

He kept telling himself that Holly was just _that _kind of person and he didn't know her for long either…and yet, there was a constant nagging feeling in the back of his head telling him that this child went through a lot more than she was supposed to. And such a reaction as she stood in the middle in the room, only _staring _down at the corpses, a look of fear, worry, revolt, frustration and as if she remembered something, her eyes flashed in empathy – such a reaction simply managed to confirm that nagging feeling.

"Were they…a couple?" Holly's question shocked Joe as he quickly turned his head up and saw her look in the direction of the bodies in the bags as they were being maneuvered through the door. He followed her line of sight and suddenly grew uncomfortable.

"Sorta."

"Sort of?"

"…"

"Well?"

"I'm not sure if I can give away any information on the victims yet." Joe answered honestly as he waited for the 'What? It's not like _I killed _them' sarcastic answer. But it never came. Holly was silent, excepting the refusal as she stared at the broken door, eyes sad with a visible frown. Joe glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, frowning. He wished he could tell her something; but protocol was protocol. Not a word until they (_He) _solved the case. He sighed.

"Inspector!"

A police man was waving for him to come by, probably finding some evidence or something. Joe sighed and he quickly took Holly by the shoulders and began to speak.

"I'll keep this short. I got a call from Cambridge that the murderer's tracks lead there, in a part of the countryside. I won't be home for a day or two." Holly nodded- that meant he wouldn't be home for a _week. "_So I'll come home late tonight and pack as I'm leaving tomorrow. I believe you do not need a babysitter, but I'm still reconsidering." At this statement Holly punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Call me at the hotel if anything happens. At all. I'll leave you some money and if you run out of food don't starve yourself like last time. I keep telling you that I have money for the bills _and _the rent this time." Joe warned. Holly bit her lip as she grumbled a low 'I do not _starve_ myself; I simply _adapt_ is all' but he ignored it.

"O.K. I got to go. Steve will escort you back hom-"

"Wait! Do you need anything washed…or ironed maybe?"

"No. I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"100% sure?"

"Yes."

"…I don't believe you."

"Holly…"

"Oh alright. Fine. I won't touch your clothes I swear."

"…Humph. Now I don't believe you."

Holly pouted at that. "Just go already and do your job."

Joe laughed at that as he walked away to Steve and instructed him to take Holly back home- no, not back in _**Surrey, **_but where he found her. You never really knew with Joe.

**A/N: This is just a sneak peek to the big plan. But it won't be revealed yet. I will take this slowly this time. If you want more answers not questions, reviews are highly appreciated. **


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I am so happy from the reviews I received XD

It means a lot to me...

Now I hope I can shed some light on the current situation of confusion...

Chapter 1: Eyes are the windows to the soul

Never go to work after being awake the night before. Ever. Period. At least not when you have such a stressful job as he does. Office job: maybe. Field job: N-E-V-E-R.

Since this mourning and still counting he has managed to:

Spill hot burning coffee on a witness.

Destroy a glass with fingerprint evidence (He reaaaallllly hoped that no one noticed that one)

Walk straight in the front door- do they make them out of rock these days?

Almost shoot his colleague ( He cant remember how he managed to pull _that _one off.)

Slip on the carpet and fall on the body of the victim...

Oh yeah.

That one happened just now.

Joe blinked dizzily at the ceiling, head spinning like a merry go round. He groaned loudly as he felt something fleshy underneath him, his mind identifying it as the victim through the painful haze. He grunted as he slowly got up, limbs shaking slightly at the strain. He hissed in pain, and held the edge of a small coffee table to steady himself. Slapping himself mentally for his recklessness, he checked the hallway to see if the coast was clear, and then quickly bent down to readjust the body in its...previous (and last) position.

"Sorry...for...um..." Joe strained for the right words and then shook himself silly. "Well you're already dead, so sorry for causing discomfort." He winced at his words. Not like she died in a very _comfortable_ position anyways.

"So the room is clear of anything important." Joe jumped in the air at the voice coming down the stairs, his heart skipping a beat, fear gripping his lungs for a moment. A woman with blond hair wrapped in a lousy and tangled bun, a light blue suit wrapped around her body from her feet to shoulders, came from down the stairs, not looking in his direction but in the chart in her hands. "Its weird that there are no signs of struggle around the area of the murde- My goodness Joe, you look...ghastly." She stated as she made eye contact with his wide eyes. Joe grimaced on her choice of words- he would never truly adapt to some choice british words; they always made him wince.

" Ah Rosie... you scared me there." He sighed a bit in relief; she obviously didn't catch his slip-up. "You were saying?" He redirected the subject on more important matters- not like it would matter since he could barely think straight anyway. Rosy, as she liked to call herself, narrowed her eyes in his direction and made a noise of frustration at the back of her throat. Typical. Her words were always ignored. "As I was _saying_, we couldn't manage to find any type of struggle or fight around the crime scene."

Joe shrugged his shoulders, the news obviously not unsettling him in the least. "Perhaps the murderer killed her from outside the house; ya know with a gun or somethin'." Joe tried to look relaxed, hands in his pockets and eyes closed in a manner of calmness. All the while he begged for his legs to stop shaking. It would do him no good if Rosie noticed his struggles to stay awake. Rosy raised an eyebrow at this statement. "Im not sure if you noticed, but theres no bullet holes or any type of blood on or around the victim." She gestured towards the victim on the floor. Joe looked a bit lost as he fell silent. "Oh." He mumbled as he stared at the victim in a new light. How did he miss _that_?

Rosy narrowed her eyes even further- suspicion was forming in those grey orbs of hers. Joe felt sheepish as he scratched the back of his head and sent her a strained grin. It didn't help the situation. By far it fed the growing suspicion that Rosie felt.

"Dont tell me you're drunk!" She hissed at him; Gods, was he such an idiot to come to work drunk? Especially while investigating a crime scene?! Men.

Joe felt offended at her obvious statement; he might like to take a drink or two once in a while, but he would never go overboard. Especially not before work. "Of course not Rosie! I might be a pushover sometimes, but not in that way!" He hissed back. Really, the nerve of some people to always assume the worst.

"Then would you care to explain the obvious wobble in your legs and the seemingly unfocused look in your eyes?"

"I don't know...oh right, perhaps the symptoms refer to obvious lack of sleep!"

Rosie gave him a good long stare, as if to confirm her suspicions, and then nodded as she clearly accepted the answer. She went back to the chart in her hands as Joe sighed in exhaustion. Never would he understand the psychology behind the female mind. One minute they are good; the next they are not. He bit his lip as he waited for Rosie to stop scribbling at her chart. The pen stopped scratching and Rosy looked up and met his tired eyes. "I'll give you all the information I found out and then you're leaving straight to the hotel- I'll inform the others that you're done for the day." She had said-more like ordered. Joe simply nodded. He was too exhausted to fight back. Well, it would be wise to start with the basics.

"Name?"

"Samantha Willows; 28, found dead around 10 a.m. yesterday- a neighbor came to borrow something and found the door unlocked and later, her." Rosy stopped suddenly as she took a shuddering breath."Cause of death: unknown."

"Unknown?"

"Yes- I have found absolutely no wounds or blood marks- there seem to be no obvious symptoms of a virus or poisoning on the surface of the body... She is cold, but that's normal...Of course, I'll take a better look inside the body back in the lab." She fell silent, as her words seem to echo around the room, as they hung over their heads.

" What about the witness?"

"She has an alibi; she couldn't have committed it. I checked with an officer. Also..." This is where she came to an abrupt stop, bitting her lip as her eyes wandered to the corner of the room. "And?" Joe inquired.

Rosy closed her eyes. "She said that when she found her, her eyes were wide open, but they were also missing the irises... I didn't believe her at first; thought that it was perhaps a trick of the light she saw." She blabbered as she stole a glance towards the corpse." Joe... i checked myself at least three times; her irises are really missing." She fidgeted as she stared at the floor. "Its beginning to scare me, Joe..." She whispered the last part and squirmed a bit as she tightened her grip around her chart.

Joes eyes narrowed and some of the haze lifted his mind as some sharpness returned. Was that even possible- for one to lose an iris without getting an eye dissection in the process? "Could you show me?" He demanded more than asked, his voice serious. This was a very... unique situation they were facing.

Rosy felt uncomfortable as her knuckles turned white, but she nodded all the same and briskly walked closer to the corpse. As she bent down, she retrieved a small flashlight from her pocket. Joe bent slightly as well to have a better look as Rosy turned the brown head gently so it was facing their direction. She turned on her flashlight and gently lifted her eyelids open as she lit up the eye.

What Joe saw...shocked him to the core. He felt his heart stop beating for a moment as he sucked in breath, his eyes widening to an almost comically confused length.

"H-how..." He strained to find the words and pull them into something understandable. "How is...this possible?!" He whispered urgently. It was strange for something so insignificant as an eye problem to shock him more than any other bloody bodies ever did. But it did.

Right as Rosy stated, the iris around the pupil was completely gone...or better said completely "faded". For, around the pupil was a black outline which surrounded it, the only way to be able to distinguish the two was by a grayish outline separating the two, barely there. It was completely pitch black, but also the pupil seemed wide and it made it look like there was a giant fear forever inscribed in those eyes.

Joe shuddered inwardly and quickly closed his eyes; fearing that he would lose his brownish-golden irises if he stared too long. Rosy gently closed the eyelid again, her flashlight back in her pocket. " Thats not it." She stated as she put on some plastic gloves and gently moved her fingers through the brown mess of hair. Now that he thought about it, Samantha was probably a very attractive woman when alive, Joe mused to himself as Rosy moved her fingers through the hair.

"Aha. Got it!" She suddenly exclaimed. "Just don't tell me its the brain..." Joe mumbled and Rosy sent him an unamused look. Joe grinned a bit nervously. "What? Just trying to lift the mood..." He whispered as he scooted closer to whatever Rosy was trying to show him. He really hoped it wasn't the brain. He wasn't good with...fleshy organs.

"See this?" She pointed towards the end of the girls hair. Joe leaned in and squinted his eyes. "See? Right at the lower part of the hair." Rosy advised and Joe found what he was looking for. Or he thought he did. He rubbed his eyes s bit, probably thinking that his exhaustion had gotten the better of him. He hoped it did. "Please tell me that's dyed..." He murmured.

Rosy smiled in understanding. "Afraid not." She supplied. Joe sighed. This was by far his weirdest murder victim in his 12 year carrier. And that was saying something.

From the bottom of the girls hair and almost reaching half of its length, was white. Not gray, but...white. White as in white and pale as snow; that white. "Was this always here or...?"

"Nope. This started happening just 3 hours ago."

Joe gaped as rosy got up and took of her gloves. 3 hours ago? But she was still dead three hours ago! What in the name of God was going on?!

"This is too weird to even comprehend." Joe said as he lifted himself up and scratched his own hair. "I know; I just wish we had some type of evidence." Rosy sighed. Joe felt it wise to not mention the fingerprint glass he broke. "I know, this is going to be a tough case to solve. If its possible to solve it at all."

"Leave it for tomorrow; for now go home and rest. I believe you will need it." And he did just that. That is, after a police man informed them of how the many interrogations with the neighbors went. Nobody knew or saw anything important. That is except for one old grandmother across the road. She was watering her plants when she saw some strange people enter her neighbors house. The police man thought the grandma was probably imagining things given her old age, but she swears its important information, so he decided to humor her and pass it on.

According to her words:

" They just came out of nowhere in the middle of the night, but once the caught the light of a street lamp I saw them clearly. About 10 people in black hooded cloaks that reached the floor, some having silver masks of sort that covered their faces. Long sticks were held in their hands, each different in their own way. If I wasn't this old, I could have sworn I saw wizards from the middle ages..."

A/N: I had to write this on my ipad... And I believe its just confusing you guys more and more but all will be explained in due time. Sorry for grammar mistakes

I hope you enjoyed. And yes the plot darkens but it will be lighter next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3: Hallway of darkness

Chapter 3: Hallway of darkness

The hallway stretched far beyond its length. Holly huffed in irritation as her feet kicked on the stone floor. She was exhausted but she could not stop. Not now. Still, no matter how much she ran, the hallway seemed to irk her and decide to become _longer_ in its length. It was endless. It was _always_ endless.

But this fact only managed to fuel her anger and determination. She jumped over a rock blocking her way and started running even faster than before. She did not need to turn around to know that her pursuer was hot on her tail, lurking in the shadows. _No_ Holly thought as an all familiar panic seized her heart. _He is the shadows_

Her breaths came out short, her lungs begging her to stop. But she couldn't. She _wouldn't_.

Holly gripped the stone wall as she squeezed her way past a tree trunk. She shivered at the cold stone walls. Her hand could feel the pulse of magic underneath, dark and restless. With a final gasp she managed to get past the gigantic tree and her feet kicked in overdrive once again, never stopping to look back. She felt absolutely powerless- she always did in this dream. No matter how much she tried she could not summon her magic to aid her. And that scared her immensely.

She turned around a corner and her body collided heavily with the wall. She gasped as she felt blood seep from her palm, an ugly cut peering from her hand. She clenched her eyes in pain and focused on getting some air into her lungs. Dark chuckling reached her ears and with a start she began to sprit once again. She cursed her clumsiness inside her mind- her sudden pit-stop only closed the already short distance between her and her pursuer. She shivered as a sudden cold wind started howling and blowing. Her light pajamas were not nearly enough to protect her against the sudden cold, so she urged her feet onward. It was definitely one of his tricks again; the bastard made things even more difficult. Holly squeezed her mouth shut to stop her teeth from chattering. Even if her muscles screamed in agony, she had to keep pushing forward. _This is not real _Holly told herself firmly. _It never is and never will be._

This was the only thing that kept her going. It was her hope, her light in this endless and gloomy corridor: That none of this was _real._

Holly knew from the moment she felt the familiar running of her feet, that this was all an illusion. She could feel the magic and she _knew_ it was to blame. The cold wind, the constant road blocks in her path, the stone walls and the hallway itself. Even _she_ was an illusion. No matter how real it seemed, in the back of her mind, she knew that this was a dream. The problem was, she wasn't aware of this now. All she knew now was that she was being chased by an unseen predator. Unseen, but powerful. She could feel it.

The only thing that always seemed so real were two people: her and the shadows- the _hunter_ which lurked in them. She never knew what or who _he_ was; fear always gripped the edge of her soul and she could never turn around and look back. And she never wanted too either.

She let out an almost choked up breath of relief as the wind stopped howling. Her legs started slowing down almost automatically without Holly's cursed as she slowed down her sprint to an almost normal run- her legs would buckle underneath her if she kept going with such intensity. This was taking too long; it never lasted this much. What if she slowed down a bit more? Perhaps he was just screwing around with her; perhaps he had left her way back and maybe she just had to stop and she would wake up in her comfy bed, surrounded by warm sheets a-

Holly bit back a scream as she felt a tentacle like shadow crawl up her shoulder. She came to a full stop as her eyes winded and her breath hitched- stopping was a very _bad_ mistake to make- she would realize that _later._

She felt more than she she _saw_ the shadow morph into a hand, as spider like fingers gripped her shoulder. Her hands trembled and, to her annoyance, she found her entire body shaking. She swore her heart stopped beating for a moment as a cruel voice whispered next to her ear. "_I tire of your constant fleeing" _He whined in an almost childlike fashion, except for the cruelty and mocking hidden underneath his tone. He chuckled and Holly found that the temperature hastily dropped around her as a shiver ran up her spine. _"Holly..."_ He drawled as his cool breath hit her neck.

Holly finally regained her bearings and with a startled cry, she wrenched out of his grasp and started running once more, faster than ever before as pure fear fueled her muscles. Her heart was leaping in her throat and her belly started doing flip-flops. She heard cold laughter behind her, as it echoed down the corridor.

_"You cannot escape me...Hooooollllly..."_

Suddenly the floor wasn't as hard and cold as before and with great shock, Holly realized she was now standing on top of the very same shadows which persuaded her all this time. She stumbled backwards as she realized the entire hallway formed into these pitch black shadows. She whirled around herself, eyes frantically searching for some form of escape. She screeched as a shadow latched onto her arm. She squirmed as she tried to gain her freedom but too late did she realize that her attempts were hopeless, as more shadows started to surround her and crawl lazily towards her. Her eyes were wide and frightened- only did she feel such fear when she felt the end nearing. Only this time; there was nobody to help her.

_"Holly..."_ He spoke clearer than ever before as Holly could only look in vain as the shadows started to swallow her into their darkness. She yelped as she started falling through the pitch black of the shadows underneath her; as a furious tone rang in her ears.**_ "WHERE ARE YOU?!"_**

Holly screamed as she got up, her breaths coming out in gasps. She looked around and almost cried in relief as she found herself in her room. Her hand trembled as she opened her palm, eyes shut as she murmured pleas. She reluctantly opened an eye and gave a shaky breath of relief as she found no cut and no blood. She raised her palm to wipe the bangs of her forehead, which was sticky with sweat. She was alright. He was gone. She was _alive._

Her stomach lurched and she found herself running out of the room and out in the hallway. She rushed inside the bathroom and ducked her head in the toilet seat as yesterdays lunch came pouring out.

She wheezed as she stopped and with a trembling hand took a piece of TP to wipe off her face. She sighed deeply and leaned on the washing machine behind her, as the cool metal felt refreshing on her skin.

She was so glad that Joe hadn't returned yet- her sudden reaction like this after a nightmare would be hard to explain. _But...was it really a nightmare?_ She thought as she pulled up her knees and rested her forehead on them. She groaned in despair. That was the constant question nagging her mind: Was this truly a dream or an illusion?

She didn't know, as it was all so confusing! She chuckled coldly; she did not know which idea sounded more absurd to her: a normal dream her subconscious created as to punish her wrong doings which she had commited- absurd. She doubted that she was such a sadist; and she did not believe God to be so cruel because she forgot to offer a seat to an elderly woman in the _bus_.

Or a _nightmare_ her very own magic was creating- highly unlikely as she would have obviously noticed such a sudden change inside her, and since she wasn't hearing voices inside her mind that meant that her magic hasn't grown a conscience.

Or (now this was all speculation on her part) the third option, that a _wizard_ was messing around with her with some powerful spell. Because even if everything in the dream felt like an illusion, _he_ felt so real. But who was he? And how would he manage to pull something like this off? As far as Holly knew, dream spells were hard magic spells to learn- let alone use. And how did one use it on a person who wasn't even in his reach? Because Holly had checked thousands of times and there were absolutely no magical beings around this street. Or the next.

She huffed in annoyance. It was beginning to get old, these nightmares. She had been getting them ever since she fled that wretched school, Hogwarts- right after summer holidays started. Could one of the students or teachers there be resposible for this? She doubted that. None of those (but a few) people knew who she was really- they only knew of her facade, their supposed "hero" _Harry Potter._ But this cruel person refereed to her as Holly in her dream not _Harry_. So he had to have known who she was. And all these facts, downplayed her list to two possible suspects.

Albus knew of her identity and was strong enough to perhaps use such powerful dream spells in his favor. But she hung around the old fool long enough to know that his magic is not that dark and sinister. And besides, Holly had not even touched her wand or used magic ever since she escaped to the muggle world- no matter how great a wizard, Albus would not have been able to find her that quickly as she was doing her absolute best in laying low under the radar from him and the Ministry. After all; it has only been 2 months and it was tehnically still break. For now, Albus was temporarily scratched off.

This led her down to one person...Voldemort. Holly shivered as memories from the graveyard encounter came rushing back to her. Skin so pale it looked sick and a face which shared an all to familiar resemblance with a snake. She was still not completely sure if that was his true appearance or a disguise made to intimidate her.

Either way, it was obvious from the moment he smirked maliciously her way that he clearly believed the rest of the wizarding world considering her gender- for which she was grateful, for at least she didn't have a crazy wizard on her ass now. So he could also not be the one disturbing her sleep- or could he? He could have easily figured it out just as well; Albus had warned her to never underestimate Tom's abilities.

_"He is a manipulator by heart, my dear. At times he is a blood thirsty snake- thirsty for power that is. And at others he is as meek as a lamb. But; do not underestimate the wolf in sheep's clothing."_

She had scoffed at the time, shrugging the warning off, knowing perfectly well of Riddle's abilities as she experienced most first hand. But now, she was having second thoughts. The times she fought him he was a mere shadow or soul; it would be a completely different situation with him being, well- _alive_.

She shook her head to get rid of such unpleasant thoughts. That wasn't important right now; all she knew was that she was being chased in her nightmares by a wizard which whispered _her_ name in cold amusement- who demanded to know where _she_ was; who knew _her_ while she didn't know him.

And that, scared her the most of all.

**A/N: Ahhh- confusion, confusion! Sorry for the delay, once again I was forced to write on my Ipad TT**

**There was a reviewer who asked me who the hell was Joe?!**

**Well he is my OC and he has a certain relationship (not like _that_ though) with Holly but that will be revealed later on... **

**So who is the mystery man who has been chasing Holly? And why is this story so confusing?! Well all will be revealed if you read on XD**

**I appreciate the follows and remember:**

**Review for faster updates and answers! **

**Im out!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Wizard chaos

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own OC character(s).**

Voldemort had returned; that much was obvious. Death eaters have been on the move- former and loyal ones. The ministry covered up the rising activity with unnatural ease- blaming any found activity on criminals, mostly on the "ever dangerous threat of notorious criminal: Sirius Black." Fudge, the entire ministry for that matter, were acting irrational to the point of childlike behavior. They refused to report the _true_ state of things to the general wizarding public- innocent lives were at stake, but of course despite this _"small" _fact, it looked like the Ministry's only goal was to not create mass panic and _stain_ their reputation. They even banned the _Daily Prophet _to write the words- "You-know-who."

Evidence was pulled aside and exterminated, clues were considered meaningless, the various sightings of death eaters were ignored and the entire Tri Wizard Tournament was taboo.

And yet with all this going around, that wasn't the main concern of one Albus Dumbledore.

Frankly speaking, he was the one to blame for the current state of things- so states the Ministry. In the ever _knowing _eyes of Fudge he, the person who has always offered nothing but advice, support and _help_, was the culprit of rising mass induced panic because he has gone completely bonkers- so proves his obvious lying statement that Lord Voldemort has returned. The real ironic thing about it all was, that such a statement was announced to only the students of Hogwarts and the Order of phoenix- _not to the newspaper. _

And yet despite this current situation- the Ministry's pushing and shoving and the rise of criminal minds on the sidelines, Albus Dumbledore's thoughts held no concern for that particular problem…for now.

Rather, he was smoking his favorite tobacco in a very comfortable chair near the fireplace, a deep frown on his face as he petted Fawkes and complimented on a certain boy who lived.

Or perhaps, on a poor girl thrown in the middle of all the chaos.

Fourth year was anything but _that_ for Holly. More like, it was a mine field filled with surprise at every turn and disappointment at the next. This year, instead of the general public being in danger, Holly was the one that suffered most of the blows- both emotionally and physically.

It was a strain enough to be disguised as someone else- and the opposite gender, for that matter. But facing the difficulties of being illegally thrown in the Tri Wizard Tournament, shunned and mocked by the jealous students, the difficult tasks, the Yule ball, Voldemort and to top it all off: the death of an unfortunate student- now that was truly a nerve breaking year.

He remembered the day she had stumbled inside his office, Harry Potter disguise gone. She had screamed at him that he had promised that this year wouldn't be difficult like the rest; after the strain of coping with magic and her first encounter with Voldemort in her first year, followed by the basilisk fiasco and the eventual godfather issue last year- one had to admire her strength- But everyone had limits and Holly was no different. It was quite difficult to restrain her- Severus and Poppy had to intervene when it seemed she was getting an attack of sorts. She was given a calming draught (supported by Poppy), comforting words (strangely enough, from Severus himself) and a brief hug (from Albus, no less) before being shifted of to bed.

He was almost positive things would have calmed down for a moment- only for the situation to get worse next week.

The death of her relatives was swift and unexpected- and it hit Holly hard.

There was depression and remorse- her aura screamed anguish as she mourned them. After the funeral, things have gone from even worse to _hell. _

Really, Albus blames himself for the most part. It all merely started as a discussion over where she would be staying over the summer- it quickly escalated to a full-blown feud. Holly was, naturally, on edge all year, but Albus wasn't completely calm and collected either. He had received at least 3 howlers from Fudge _himself_ that morning and he had to keep his magic in check to not blow something up. Insults were flying left and right, even _spells_, before they had both retreated to a good night's sleep- he more irritated than ever and she without a backwards glance. Were it not for Poppy (bless her soul) informing him that she had spilled tears, he wasn't quite sure if he would have arrived at her door the next morning. He had paled considerably- he had made her _cry, _a young frustrated girl, something which he had promised to _never_ do again and _did, _which invoked bad memories of the past from the sheer guilt.

He stood there patiently at the door, more than ready to apologize. Except, he had no one to apologize too.

The bed was made, the closet and shelves were empty. Everything was gone, all but her owl Hedwig and a piece of parchment on the table. Written on it were 5 simple words:

_**I can't do this anymore.**_

It was barely a sentence, but it was more than enough. The meaning was clear as if someone had shouted it to him and Albus was searching almost immediately. And luck was on his side- with a complicated tracking spell (which the ministry used for underage children preforming magic), her magical signature still fresh, he was heading towards the main gates. He never truly made it that far though.

Poppy had stopped him (always the adviser), even Severus was backing her up as she explained to him to leave her alone for a while. Of course, he had rejected vehemently. Her arguments were that she needed time alone, that she was in no condition to conversation, plus forceful retreating, and that it was hard to lose family. _"You know her for far longer than anybody here headmaster- surely you should know that she will never truly run away? It's…it's just not her style." _She had said with a smile.

With a few more reassuring words like "She's probably staying in Diagon alley… and she will use her wand of course, so the tracking charm is always available… and there's always Gringotts for lack of money…", and with a look inside Severus's eyes which spoke volumes of disagreement with Poppy but also reluctant knowledge of letting Holly go for the time being, Albus had caved. So Albus left Holly alone. For a day, than three, eight…2 weeks have passed until he could wait no more. And this time Poppy didn't stop him either- she was agitated as well. He had used the tracking spell…only to find it useless.

This revelation shocked him to the core- the tracking spell was only deemed useless when the targeted person did not use his/her wand for a long period of time… or any type of magic for that matter…

He had searched Hogsmeade, Diagon and even Knockturn alley- every cellar, store and closet was turned over in his panic.

3 weeks have passed without a trace. The possibility of her being injured… or even _dead _was too hard to ignore- he had never felt fear like that since he could remember. He wasn't scared of the public's reaction if they- that is _when _they would find out the sudden disappearance of the BWL. No, his fear lied in the fact that Holly- that scrawny, kind and obedient child he had met at the tender age of 10; which reminded him oh so much of a certain similar blond and smiling girl all those years ago could be rotting away somewhere at this very moment.

He was the one drinking calming draughts and he put up quite a fight when Severus and Poppy tried to retrain him for going on another fruitless search.

After some time he had managed to calm down- his body did, but his mind could not. The end of summer holiday was nearing- school term would begin soon. But this year without a certain BWL in the picture.

He sighed deeply- more accusations were awaiting him, threats supplied by the Ministry of Magic, the very real possibility of his role as headmaster being stripped away from him and well Tom Riddle.

But for all he cared he could only sit in his chair, smoke and worry for a girl that even Fawkes couldn't find.

_I lost someone important to me like this a long time ago because of my arrogance- __**I won't let it happen again… **_

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait- I had writer's blog and well...school and I hope this chapter explains some of the ongoing things going on in the Wizarding world. If not than I am a complete failure as an amateur writer- oh, the sheer embarrassment! Reviews are highly appreciated!- just if ya didn't know :p **

**And special thanks goes to:**

**God of all**

**Extended**** experience (for pointing out my grammar mistakes- thanx so much, I appreciate criticism since I'm neither american or from England XD Fell free to inform me if I make more mistakes.)**

**Review if ya want to or if you really don't want to waist your time with giving your opinion on a story which would really help motivate an author- well, than just go ahead and run away on tip-toes (Hope I didn't offend anyone XD)**


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